The many recipes, meals, treats, and restaurants that mean I will never be skinny again.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Recipe Snapshot: Blueberry Cobbler

Well, it's officially summer, and about that time of year, with blueberries everywhere. I don't know about you all, but I often forget about blueberries in the colder months (I think it's a defense mechanism), but then in the summer, when they are bountiful, I just cannot get enough. One of the simplest ways to enjoy them is to bake them into a yummy homemade cobbler. It's far easier than pie, but just as delicious, in my humblest of opinions.

Forgive me the bad picture--while I did in fact bake a blueberry cobbler last weekend when my father-in-law was in town, I did not take any pictures of it. The pictured cobbler was made a couple of summers ago, pre-blog. But you get the idea, right?

So what's the difference between a cobbler and a crisp, or a crumble? Well, this isn't scientific or well-researched, but a cobbler is most likely to have a cakey or biscuity topping, while crisps are usually topped with nuts and/or oats, and crumbled with, well...crumbles. I prefer cobblers, personally, because you get both a soft and fluffy topping AND a crisp crust. Win-win.

Recipe below the cut!
I use a variation on this cobbler recipe with other fruits--I've made plain cherry, cherry and rhubarb, and even peach and blueberry. All have been delicious and met with lots of "mmmm"s and "yummy"s. The cornstarch/sugar/boiling water at the end is what gives the cobbler it's sweet sauciness, and helps the crust get brown and crisp. I've kept the original recipe I found online mostly as-is, but have reduced the amount of sugar called for significantly (my adjustments are below), added some vanilla, and on occasion, substituted some lavender buds in place of the cinnamon. Y'all know I love lavender--and it goes really well with blueberries. All this needs is a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, and...mmmm.

Spread the blueberries out to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over them.

In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in flour and baking powder alternately with the milk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Batter will be thin. Spoon over the berries, and spread evenly.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 3/4 cups of sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon or sprinkle on lavender buds, then pour the boiling water over the entire dish.

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

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Welcome!

Welcome to my little corner of the blogging world. Here you can expect to find recipes authored by myself and others (including pictures), tips and tricks I've learned, restaurant "reviews" (more like my own experiences), and other insights into my kitchen and appetite. I hope you'll find it fun, interesting, and at the very least, mildly entertaining. Bon appetit!

About Me

I love food. I grew up in a family where we used food to show one another love. Those Sunday roast beef and mashed potato dinners from Grandma? Nothing but love. The innumerable batches of homemade hand-cranked ice cream from Grandpa? Sweet, creamy love. The carefully crafted Beef Wellington on Mom's Christmas table? If that's not love, what is?
I took an interest in cooking starting in college, and my skill level has increased throughout my late 20s and early 30s. Marriage and two trips to France have expanded my palate, recipe repertoire, and desire to express my own love in the kitchen.